Singapore would need 30,000 more health workers by 2020
As the population continues to age, Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) estimates that the country would approximately 30,000 more healthcare workers by 2020 to meet the demands of an aging population.
In the hopes of attracting more people to take up careers in the healthcare industry and ensure they are well-equipped, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong recently launched the 2020 Healthcare Manpower Plan, which is aimed at meeting the growth in demand for healthcare and sustain good salaries for workers.
The plan consists of three strategies: Equipping the healthcare workforce with relevant skill sets to prepare for the evolving healthcare needs of an ageing population, growing a strong local core by investing in fresh school leavers as well as mid-career entrants, and improving the work environment and patient experience with technology.
The initiatives to equip healthcare workers with better skills include a new Skills Future Earn and Learn program in gerontology nursing, which will be introduced by Nanyang Polytechnic from December 2016 to give new nursing graduates the opportunity to undergo on-the-job training.
More doctors are also being trained in the community, with a 30% increase in family medicine trainees expected by 2019, the Health Ministry said.
Scholarships and sponsorships for young Singaporeans would be available to allow them to pursue healthcare training programs at local and overseas institutions in order to build a strong Singaporean core in the healthcare industry, the MOH said.
Mid-career professionals will be supported through several initiatives, including an enhanced healthcare professional conversion programme which will provide participants with a training allowance during their courses of study.
Another initiative is the Return to Nursing programme, which will see former nurses undergo a refresher course before starting work.
The Healthcare Manpower Plan’s third strategy, to leverage technology to improve productivity in the sector, includes partnering with healthcare providers to improve processes, adopting new technologies, expanding job roles and reviewing rules and regulations.
“In tandem with our aspirations to become a Smart Nation, public healthcare institutions are endeavoring to deliver more efficient and productive services through the use of technology,” MOH stated in documents distributed on the plan.
Gan described the transformation of the healthcare workforce “as a journey that we need to embark together – as leaders, as healthcare workers, as patients and caregivers (and) as individuals”.
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